Like, I love kimchi, blue cheese, sauerkraut, beer etc, but I have to consciously remind myself every time that it’s safe and edible and I won’t die if I eat/drink it…
But if I eat or drink certain other stuff I’ll get sick or even worse?
I never understood like, for example, why I can eat yogurt or buttermilk and be just fine, but if I leave a gallon of milk in the fridge too long I’d get sick if I tried to drink it, what gives? I feel like I might know the answer, but figured I’d ask just to get my facts straight. Thanks!
**Edit: A big thank you to everyone that has taken the time to explain this to a full grown adult lol If anyone else has follow up questions, please add those too!**
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Different bacteria have different effects on us. For products like cheese & yoghurt, if you noticed those making-of videos, they sterilize all components that they use. And when it’s time to ferment, they purposely add a specific strain(s) of bacteria to induce the growth that they want. In this regard, they choose the helpful bacteria.
For stuff like kimchi or saurkraut, one key step you’ll notice is that they salt the vegetables at the start. Like with yoghurt and cheese, they also emphasize on sterilizing all components, especially the jars, during production. One thing important to remember is bacteria is everywhere. On your hands, on your face, on your phone, even on your food. The salting process is also key because that step kills off most of the harmful bacteria. The lactic-acid producing bacteria, the ones that actually help kimchi ferment, and also ones that are good for us, can survive the salting process. So by this way, they’re also ‘choosing’ which bacteria will ferment the kimchi by killing off all the harmful ones. They also store it in a very tight container as oxygen is another key component of the (harmful) bacterial growth. Incidentally (or on purposely), lactic-acid bacteria (which is the non-harmful bacteria) can actually grow and thrive in an environment absent oxygen.
Bacteria poop.
Different bacteria have different chemicals in their poop based on their digestive process. For example, a handful of anerobic bacteria produce the botulism toxin. The bacteria themselves would be harmless if they happened to land on your food – but if that food was improperly canned, and they were allowed to grow anaerobically for a few weeks, the waste they leave behind could kill you.
“bacteria” is about as broad of a term as saying “animals”. Some are harmless, some are dangerous in certain ways, some are dangerous in different ways.
It’s the same with bacteria. Some are harmless and may even make chemicals that taste good. Others are dangerous because they can make you sick if they get in you (like e coli). Others are dangerous because they poop chemicals that taste bad or are very toxic (like botulism).
The point is: When we ferment food on purpose, **it’s made by deliberately adding a specific type of mold or bacteria that we know is safe and has the desired effect**.
As opposed to when your milk or old food goes moldy, that mold is whatever unknown random species landed in it from the air and started growing.
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